Star Fox: Rise of Venom
by Demo ODST
Summary: Eight months after returning to the Star Fox team, Krystal, with large gaps in her memory, has quickly become torn between the women she had been, and the assassin she had become. But, before she can figure out her own emotions, Lylat is thrown into a desperate conflict for it's very freedom as an old evil returns, bent on placing Lylat under it's tyrannical thumb.
1. Prologue

**THIS IS A SEQUEL. if you have not read the Phoenix Fire, you WILL be missing vital events that lead up to this, as well as things that are mentioned in passing will become very important. if you have red the Phoenix fire before, you should be fine, but i do highly recommend rereading it, because i recently posted a revised version. so please, read the Phoenix fire before you read this.**

* * *

Fara's eyes slowly opened, seeing solar rising through the sliding glass balcony door. She looked beside her to the bed's other occupant, still fast asleep. She smiled and kissed the dark grey fur of his cheek, the edges of his mouth tilting slightly upward. She slowly and carefully slipped out of the bed, careful to not pull the covers off of Wolf as she made her way out on the balcony. The view over looked Fortuna's one ocean, and she found it toke her breath away every time. Her eyes dropped to her hand, the simple silver ring still feeling strange on her ring finger. She wasn't surprised, given it had only been placed there the night before.

_Fara walked along the beach, her head resting on Wolf's strong shoulder, their fingers laced together. He suddenly stopped her, his one organic eye bouncing between hers, even though she knew the cybernetic one was doing the same, tucked away under its glass plate._

_ "Fara…. There is something I want to ask you." She smiled at him, slightly confused as he let go of her hand, dropping down on one knee. He produced a small black box from the pocket of his shorts._

_ "W-Wolf?" her heart was racing as he opened the box, already speaking._

_ "This has been burning a hole in my pocket for a week now, and I had a big elaborate plan to ask you, but I just can't wait. Fara Phoenix, will you do me the honor, of marrying me?" her heart seemed to stop dead, right there, almost as if time itself had frozen. "Um, Fara?" she realized she had been silent for several seconds his face seemed to be falling, fear starting to fill his eyes._

_ "I… of course! Yes, just… wow this is unexpected." The fear instantly melted away as a happiness she had never seen from him before illuminated his eye. He pulled the simple silver band out of the case and gingerly slid it onto her finger. Before she got the chance to admire it, he was standing up, grabbing her by the waist and kissing her._

Fara slipped out of the memory as Wolf's arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned into him, feeling his powerful muscles up against her back, the thin night gown hiding nothing.

"Good morning my beautiful Fara." She couldn't help but grin as she snaked around to face him, instantly kissing him. After several minutes, they finally broke off, simply staring into each other's eyes.

"Can I wake up like this for the rest of my life?" Wolf simply smiled, leading her back inside the bedroom. Wolf had purchased a large resort in his earlier years, although the money he used was not exactly legally earned, and turned the top three floors into a massive penthouse for Star Wolf. The lower floors were still an active resort, being run and maintained by the old owners.

"I'll do my very best. Breakfast?" she simply nodded and sat on the couch to watch him. She was shocked at how much his cooking skills had improved in the last two months, and although his food wasn't exactly on par with Fay's, he was really starting to get good at it. What surprised her still, was that she had thought she was going to have to know someone for years before she would marry them, but even though they had been dating for less than a year, she knew it was right. Her smile faded as something started to drift back into her mind. She sighed, trying to think of how to tell him. "Hey, everything alright over there?" he had stopped cooking to move over to her, gently lifting her chin until she was looking into her eyes.

"I… Wolf, there is something I need to tell you." He settled onto the floor in front of her, patiently waiting for her to continue, a worried expression on his face. She bit her lip, terrified as to how he was about to react. "I… I am, well, pregnant Wolf." his entire body seemed to freeze for a second, the worry still locked on his face. Before she had time to feel any fear, he seemed to melt before her eyes, wrapping his arms around her.

"Fara… that's, amazing!" he muscles tensed up and he let go of her, tears coming out of his eyes. She could see the pain he was feeling and she stood up, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Wolf, what's wrong?" he took a long breath, his eyes closed before he responded.

"You are not the first person I will have been married to." She smiled, holding his face in both hands as she forced him to look into her eyes.

"That's okay Wolf. It doesn't change whether I love you or not. I understand that I don't know everything about you." He nodded, grabbing her hand and pressing it up against his face.

"Her name was Sarah. And it was a long time ago, but, we had a child together. Kate. She had been close to giving birth when we actually married, and the marriage only lasted seven months." He shuddered as his eyes closed again.

"What happened?" it was several seconds before he managed to speak again.

"She died. They both did. I had been working with a group of pirates, when James McCloud and Peppy Hare attacked in their Arwings. One of the stations defense guns was right above our apartment. James was the one to take the shot. You've always wondered why I hated the Star Fox team for so long, well, there's why. I just now have realized that James had no idea about what lay under that gun. He never did. I stopped blaming him and Fox long before I met you but…." She placed a finger on his mouth, silencing him.

"It's okay. You don't need to say more." She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head into his chest. "And you won't lose me." She felt his arms go around her, just before the smell of burning eggs reached their noses.

"Aw shit, I'm sorry." He rushed over, pulling the pan off the stove and dropping it into the sink.

"Don't worry about it. You can make more. By the way, I'm not going to Slippy's wedding in two months. I'd rather just stay here with you, and I know you can't go, so then I'm not." Wolf glanced up at her and smiled, about to speak when someone knocked on the door. Fara instantly moved to the door, opening the door to see a canine, her dark grey fur and wild features looking frighteningly familiar. Her grey eyes seemed to be filled with sadness as she spoke in a very quiet voice.

"My name is Kate O'Donnell, I'm looking for my Father, Wolf." Fara froze on the spot, unable to say a word.

* * *

Andrew Oikonny was shoved down into a chair with such force that it jarred every bone in his body. He could barely open his eyes from the swelling when a very familiar deep voice spoke.

"I told you I didn't want him harmed you buffoon! Get out of my sight!" he could only see a mass of white fur as he tried to peer through the slits his eyes had become, trying to figure out why the voice was so familiar. The door opened and closed behind him and he heard the man sigh quietly to himself.

"I'm sorry about how my… _associates_… treated you Andrew. I just hope I can make it up to you, along with all of the years we lost." His voice had a strong air of disgust in the word 'associates' The Primate finally came close enough that Oikonny could clearly see him. The wild white beard and hair, white face, and his almost demonic brown eyes seeming to glow with an inner red light, just as he had always remembered them.

"U-Uncle!" a strange euphoria seemed to shoot across his body, knowing he was right.


	2. Chapter 1

**i decided to right the first chapter and post it up as well. if you haven't read the revised version of the Phoenix Fire, i highly recommend that you do so BEFORE you read this. also, fair warning, this is going to be a much darker, grittier story than it's predecessor, people are going to die, bad shit is going to happen. just fair warning.  
**

* * *

"So you and Fara are engaged? And she's pregnant?" Wolf nodded as she inspected his fiancé. She wasn't at all surprised that her father liked her, she was a very beautiful woman. She was a Vulpine, a little over half a head shorter than Wolf, with deep red fur and even deeper long red hair. Her vibrant green eyes seemed to be able to pierce right through anything, but were also filled with a quiet caring. Fara had thrown on one of Wolf's shirts, its size easily swamping her small frame. "And you worked with Star Fox?" this was the question she had been dying to ask ever sense they had mentioned it. Wolf took a drink of his coffee and set the mug down on the table before he spoke.

"Yes, I did. James may have killed Sarah, but it was never intentional. And, all though I could never forgive James, I don't believe the sins of the father are passed to his son, so I have no qualms working with Fox. If I did, I would have never been able to fall in love with Fara here." Fara cut in, gently punching his shoulder.

"Fox and I knew each other from birth. Our mothers were very close friends, so when his died, mine picked up the slack with Fox, so James could keep putting food on the table." Kate looked between the two, suddenly feeling a very large dislike for Fara.

"That doesn't explain why." Wolf closed his eyes, clearly deep in a memory.

"I realized that just after the Lylat wars, and turned away from the whole 'take over the galaxy' crap and traded it for 'how can I make the most money'. By that time, I disliked Fox just cause he had beat me so many times. Then, during the Aparoid war, I ended up joining him to try to stop the Aparoids, and nearly died. That's when I realized it was pointless to hold on to old grudges, and I quickly learned that living for myself just didn't cut it anymore. So I started fighting the criminal underworld I had been born into." Kate let herself think about what he said, suddenly torn between what she wanted. She wanted vengeance for her mother's death, but she wanted her father more. And she had no clue how he would react if she killed Fox, since his Fiancé was clearly very close to the man.

"I for one, would love the chance to get to know you Kate. After all, you are family. Or, shortly will be." She had said almost nothing about herself, only that she had been trying to find Wolf ever since she learned her past.

"Well, I guess I'll start from the beginning. Mother used her body as a shield from the blast, killed her instantly. But emergency atmospherics saved my life. One of the slavers had to pry me out of mother's arms, and he tried to tell you that I had survived, but you had disappeared. He later learned that James had shot you down, and presumed you were dead. Then, just before the Aparoid war, he told me the truth about my past, who my father was, and all the information he could find on you. I ran away, looking for you. I was only sixteen then, but I was determined. I ended up with some… wrong side of the law crowds, which I hope changes real soon, but it let me learn about this place. Honestly, I'm on a contract right now, and just stopped by, hoping you were here." Wolf got up and moved around the table. He stared into her eyes for a second, just before pulling her into the fifth hug he had given her since she had walked in.

"I don't care, you're here now, and that's all I care about." She couldn't help but grin, happier than she had been since she had learned the truth.

"Well, I gotta go. I'm sorta on the clock. But here, it's my contact information. Call me in a few days, and I'll do my best to visit when I can." Wolf nodded and accepted the card, a smile pasted to his face.

"Well, I can't wait to see you again. It was very nice meeting you." Fara held out her hand to Kate and she stared at it for a second before she pulled Fara into a hug.

"That makes two of us. Well I must be off. Bye father." she felt a surge of euphoria at being able to finally say that as she slipped out the door. She tapped a few keys on her wrist computer as he spoke into it. "Dr. Andross, I'm sorry but I'm going to be running a little late with that package you wanted. I kinda ran into my father." she sent the message and locked the computer, her feet carrying her down the stairs.

* * *

Two months later

Fox couldn't help but smile as his eyes flicked around the clearing Slippy and Amanda had chosen for their wedding. They had been original planning on having it on Aquas, but General Pepper's condition had made it impossible. Fox was looking at him, a small sadness spreading to his heart upon seeing the condition the old hound was in. he need an oxygen mask at all times, and his tight arm and left leg were both fully cybernetic. The nerve damage he suffered from the Aparoid threat was spreading, forcing him into a hover chair, and his lungs were also severely damaged. It pained Fox to know that the next time he was going to see him, was most likely going to be his funeral. But, he still wore his red formal uniform for this day. Peppy was sitting beside him, and was originally going to conduct the wedding, but choose to help Pepper along instead. Most everyone else were just friends from Slippy and Amanda's jobs, with four exceptions, all standing at the front. Himself, Krystal, Bill, and Fay, were the only old friends that could make it. Fara said she couldn't leave Wolf behind, and the wedding being on Corneria and Wolf with such a high bounty, he could not come. No one had seen hide nor hair of Falco or Katt in the eight months since they had stopped Oikonny. Miyu had been planning on coming, but had been tied up on a job outside of the system. Leon had disappeared seven months ago. Lucy was off charting a new solar system, and wasn't to be back for another year. Fox made absolutely sure to not take a contract near the wedding date, given he was Slippy's best man, he wouldn't have missed it for anything. He glanced across the podium now, past where Slippy was standing in his tux and straight at Krystal. It was still surreal to him that she was back in his life, so he took every opportunity to admire her beauty. She was a vulpine, almost like himself, except she was dark blue with white highlights. Her shoulder length hair had been weaved into an intricate braid that Fox believed made her look stunning. She was wearing all of her old jewelry, from the tail rings, to the large gemmed necklace and tiara, half hidden under her hair. The turquoise gems in them matched her turquoise eyes almost perfectly. And although the red bride's maid's dress didn't fit her quite as well as a light blue or white dress would have, she still looked amazing in it. Its lack of sleeves showed the tattoos in her fur, and the split in the skirt let the majority of one of her long legs show, almost too much for Fox's comfort. She winked at him and he blushed, looking away. She was a telepath, and usually left their minds linked at all times, so they almost always knew what the other was thinking. Fox almost sighed as his admiration for her beauty slipped away, replaced by the fear and concern that consumed him. Anyone who looked closely enough, could still see the swelling around her eye. But that was not what worried him. Every day, more memories of her life as Kursed returned, and she became more and more violent to their opponents. the last contract they had prompting them to bring someone in, alive, she had beaten the mark with her staff so badly that he almost didn't survive the trip back to their contractor, when he would've been easy to pin and cuff, as she would have done before she nearly died. And it seemed that, although some had returned, almost none of her original memories were coming back anymore, causing her to drift further and further away from the woman he loved. He lost his train of thought as music began to play, and Amanda began her march down the red carpet. The slightly chubby amphibian, although not good looking at all to fox, had to be stunning to Slippy. And for that, he smiled as she moved closer to them. He slipped out of focus again as the ceremony started, his eyes going back to Krystal.

"May we have the rings please?" the cleric's statement brought Fox out of his daze as both Bill and Fay stepped forward. Where Krystal didn't look quite right in the red dress, Fay looked absolutely stunning. Her brilliant white fur clashed nicely with the dress, and her very curly long hair was simply pinned away from her face, actually showing her slender features for a change. Bill on the other hand, looked like he belonged with her in his crisp red military uniform and light grey fur. Although Fay was technically supposed to be in uniform as well, she had chosen the dress saying 'I'll just look better' but Fox knew the real reason was to look the best she could for Bill. Normally, there would have been only one ring bearer, but there was an old Aquain tradition that the families of those being married would create a crown out of branches or sea plants that was then placed on the head of their child's betrothed. Slippy's father was doing vital research into the Aparoids, and hadn't been able to come home. Amanda's family were dead, her parents having died during the lylat wars. Slippy was trying to honor that tradition, simply switching plants for rings. Bill, being practically Slippy's brother, was the perfect candidate to act as a ring bearer. Fay was picked as the other, due to Krystal being the maid of honor, and Fara not being able to attend. They each accepted the rings, ready to begin the final stage of the ceremony when a shadow appeared over the whole area, accompanied by a massive boom, almost like an explosion. Fox eyes hit the sky above them, seeing the eight hundred meter form of a Zerham cruiser. Everyone froze as a voice emanated from it, one that chilled Fox to the bone.

"Your fleets have fallen! And even your beloved Star Fox is powerless against me, now bow down to your new Emperor! Dr. Andross!" Fox reacted almost instantly, grabbing Krystal by the hand and sprinting for the trees. He had a small hold out blaster hidden on his back, but it was useless against a cruiser. The entire wedding party was splitting off in random directions as Fox looked back. He could see Peppy struggling to get Pepper on his feet when time seemed to stand still. Peppy's eye's locked with Fox's, almost as if they were saying something. _Stay strong Fox, and remember, trust your instincts._ In that instant, a massive beam of energy slammed down right where the two of them were standing, the ensuing blast knocking him off his feet. His head it a rock on the way down, knocking him out cold.


	3. Chapter 2

Falco couldn't help but grin as he kicked back on the sand, feeling the warmth bleed up through his bare back. After a few minutes, trying to avoid falling asleep, he opened his eyes and looked over at Katt, fast asleep and curled up against his chest. Her two piece bathing suit left very little to the imagination, as he happily inspected every inch of her body. He had never understood why it had taken him this long for him to realize how much he cared about her. His eyes stopped on her ankle, seeing a group of scars he had never seen before. Curious, he gently shook her awake. She smiled and yawned, him unable suppress a grin at her.

"Hey beautiful. Can I ask you something?" she nodded, still somewhat sleepy. "How'd you get that scar on your ankle? I don't remember it." she glanced down and chuckled before she let her attention go back to Falco.

"Well, Fox. About two years ago, he tried to throw himself in front of a bus. My foot was clipped by the bus, but I thought I was fine. Few days later, I flew to Macbeth, intending to try and fine you. When I got there, the pain was so bad I couldn't walk. Was broken. Spent four months in a cast and nearly six in rehab. Lost the trail on you, and Fox stopped coming back to the HQ so I ended up just drifting till I found you." Falco chuckled as he responded.

"Makes you want to kill him sometimes, eh?" she laughed, glancing at Falco's digital watch.

"Oh shit, we need to get moving!" Falco glance at his watch, confused.

"For what?" she had already sprung to her feet, running for her clothes.

"Slippy's wedding! We were going to surprise him, remember?" he glanced at his watch again, realizing the date.

"Aw crap, your right!" he shot to his feet, able to move almost twice as fast as her as he ran, grabbing the shirt out of the sand and leaping onto the fuselage of his heavily modified Arwing. Katt was only seconds behind him and he watched her jump into her own fighter. Hers was an X-03 Arwing that had simply been painted purple, with the exception of the G-Diffusers, which were purple. Falco had repainted his fighter black and red, in the same style as hers. He gently eased his fighter into Sauria's air and gunned it for space. Their Arwings took no time at all to break out of the atmosphere, their hauler not far from them. Falco had built it himself after Star Fox had disbanded almost three years prior. It originally only had one dock built into its starboard wing, built specifically for the Sky Claw, the clamps matching the shape of the hull. Adding another dock for an Arwing had been simple, and although the ship was small, it was meant to be operated by one person, and the two of them didn't mind being close. As soon as his fighter had docked, he rushed up to the cockpit and fired up the crafts main power plant. Katt slipped up behind him as he plotted a course for Macbeth.

"Are we going to make it?" he shrugged, Macbeth being hours away.

"Maybe. If this Gate time map is up to date, then we should get to Macbeth just in time for a gate jump to Corneria." She nodded as he finished plotting the course and fired the warp drive, the ship accelerating to insane speeds.

"Well, let's hope we do." He nodded before standing up, headed back to the small cabin above the engines to change clothes. Katt followed behind him, just as silently nervous as he was.

* * *

Krystal opened her eyes as Fox finally stirred awake. The second he did, he shot to his feet, running for the crater that had been the seats for the wedding.

"PEPPY!" she could both hear and feel the pain that filled his voice as he shouted. She just barely caught him and restrained him, holding him on the edge of the crater.

"I'm sorry Fox, Peppy is gone." He stopped fighting her and dropped to his knees, audibly sobbing before her, something she had only seen in his memories. She felt her heart breaking as she watched him, wrapping her arm over his shaking shoulders.

"He… he's gone. Peppy, I… I'm so sorry." She looked up at the crater, having been too worried about Fox to really look at it. Mangled pieces of metal marked where chairs had been, a thick lump where Pepper's hover chair had been knocked over. And beside it was a sight that almost made Krystal gag, knowing it was all that was left of her friend. The two charred corpse were still in the positions they had been in just minutes ago, burnt so badly that they were literally pure carbon at the center of the crater. Her own tears stung her eyes as she finally managed to speak past the lump in her throat.

"Fox, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing an of us could have done." He made no visible notion of responding as she made a quick glance up at the sky, turned a fiery red by distant flames. A pair of fighters she had never seen before streaked overhead. "Come on Fox, we gotta move!" he gulped and nodded, clearly fighting the urge to cry with everything he had.

"I, yeah, your right. We gotta go for the shuttle, then make for the 'Fox. It's our only chance." She nodded and pulled her heels off, knowing they would just slow her down. Fox was stripping as much of his Tux as possible, leaving him in an undershirt and the holster rig he had thrown on. The small weapon maid a quiet rasp as he slid it free of the holster. It looked tiny in his hands, after she had grown used to seeing him with a much larger blaster he usually carried. She followed as he began to skirt the edge of the crater, moving at a slow jog so she could easily keep up. "Do you know if any of the others made it out?" she nodded, almost instantly speaking.

"Bill, Fay, Slippy and Amanda all made it. I don't know where they went though." He nodded as they moved toward the edge of the park, Fox taking one last look at the crater far behind them. They stuck to the back alleys in the city, Fox leading the way and aiming his blaster around every corner they came across. He suddenly held a fist up and slid behind a trash bin as she hunkered down too. A faint rumble was at the edge of her hearing, that grew until a massive tank rolled by, escorted by at least two dozen infantry. After they had past, Fox signaled them down an alley. A voice behind Krystal made her freeze on the spot.

"Both of you, Freeze!" she barely had time to turn around before Fox had fired a pair of green laser blasts past her, one of the two soldiers collapsing as the other dived for cover.

"Krystal! Run for the ship!" she nodded to him and took off down the alley, barely hearing the other soldiers shout.

"I got the target! Marking now!" she heard a couple of blasts behind her as she sprinted across the street. She stopped on the other side, seeing Fox trade shots with the infantry squad they had seen pass.

_Come on Fox! Ru…._ Her thought to him was cut off as a sound behind her drew her attention. She barely had time to turn and see the soldier before a white stun round lanced into her chest, instantly knocking her out cold.

* * *

Fox felt Krystal's half-finished thought, but shoved it aside as Venom troops swarmed toward him. It seemed that every single one he killed, was replaced by three more. He knew he only had a few shots left in the power pack, the weapon having never been designed for a sustained firefight. Red lasers ripped by at an alarming rate as he ducked down. Thick green laser bolts suddenly ripped through the alleyway and buildings as Fox glanced up, getting a glimpse of the AL-4 bottlenose before it shot away, leaving a booming echo of its engine in its wake. The Venom troops had ducked away under the strafing run and Fox took his chance, sprinting the same way Krystal had just done. He reached the other side, about to keep running when something on the ground caught his eye. Her necklace was lying on the ground, the clasp broken, blood on the chain. Panic filled his mind, scooping the necklace up and looking around for any sign of her, only finding a small amount of blood on the corner of a dumpster.

"Krystal!" he shouted a few more times, cursing when there was no response. "I hope you make it to the shuttle." He closed his eyes for a second, unable to feel her presence in his mind. Fear was building back up inside of him and he took a deep breath to settle himself. After a few seconds, he started running again, headed for the shuttle.


	4. Chapter 3

**So here's chapter three. i hope yall enjoy it and please, let me know what you think, regardless of whether it's good or bad.**

* * *

Bill held up his fist before he slowly leaned around the corner, the heavy blaster rifle he had picked up raised and ready to shoot the first venom soldier he saw. The alley way was clear, so he signaled Fay forward as he stepped around the corner. The rifle was from a Venom soldier they had killed, and he had quickly learned that the weapon had a very small ammo reserve. Unlike the blasters he was used to, that could fire hundreds of rounds without a new power pack, this rifle needed one every two dozen rounds or so, but, was powerful enough to punch clean through walls and soldiers, making it more like a marksmen's weapon than a standard infantry rifle. So he was now wearing a back pack filled with scavenged power packs. He signaled for fay to stop, letting her slump up against the wall. Her once beautiful red dress was now torn and tattered, and he knew her feet had to hurt, given she had literally broken the heels just so she could move. Her normally brilliant white fur was smudged and blackened from near miss rounds, and she looked strange with the massive rifle in her hands, classing with the formal wear.

"So what's the plan?" Bill startled slightly at the sound of her voice, his eyes going back to watching the ends of the alleyway.

"We fight our way to the spaceport, and hope the freighter we rode here is still there. Then we regroup with Bulldog and Husky. They know enough to be staying alive." Fay nodded, rubbing one of her feet. She had been recommended for command, having finished the Flight academy faster than anyone on record. So instead of joining one of Bill's new squadrons, she was assigned as Bulldog squadron's leader, under Bill's command. Footsteps caused Bill to raise the rifle and hunker down behind a dumpster, Fay dropping to her stomach and aiming the same direction. An orange and white Vulpine shot around the corner, his white t-shirt almost the color of his dress pants he was covered in so much ash.

"Fox!" Fay leapt to her feet and rushed over to him, Bill right on her tail.

"Oh thank god. Have either of you two seen Krystal?" bill shook his head as Fox stashed his holdout blaster back in its holster.

"No, we thought she was with you?" he cursed as Bill handed him the heavy blast rifle with the pack of ammo, his own full size blaster pistol was tucked into a holster that was normally empty.

"We got separated! I think she's been captured." Fay gasped as the trio began moving again.

"So, let's look for her!" Bill's voice was met with a defeated sigh from Fox.

"We can't. There has to be at least a full battalion of troops out here. our best bet is to regroup and hope we find her later. Come on." Bill nodded, exchanging a worried glance with Fay. Fox lead the way through the alleys, moving twice the speed Bill had been. They crossed a few streets without incidents when Fox held a fist up, signaling for them to stop. He could just barely hear voices echoing down the alley.

"Report!" his eyes drifted to Fay, who was clutching one of her feet. A small trickle of blood was seeping from wear the destroyed heels were grinding on her toes.

"Primary target captured. And that cruiser dealt with both general's sir. We are still searching for the remaining Star Fox associates as we speak Admiral." Bill glanced at Fox seeing his wide eyed expression.

"Alright, carry on lieutenant. I must return to the fleet. Remember, Fox McCloud is to be taken alive no matter the cost. The rest of his friends are…. Expendable." Bill leaned close to Fox as he beckoned him forward.

"That Admiral, I think that's Shears! His face is all scarred up and he has an eye patch, but I could swear it's him!" his voice was barely a whisper.

"Shears, you mean the guy who was trying to resurrect Andross on Titania?" Fox nodded and signaled for them to follow him. Bill glanced down the alley as they passed, seeing the mass of troops, two of them turning to head down the alley. He grabbed Fay and dragged both her and Fox a short way down before opening a dumpster lid and shoving Fay in. Fox jumped in without invitation and bill followed, jamming the lid slightly open so they could see. The trash was littered with rotting food and more nasty smells than he could stomach. They watched as the soldiers turned down the way the trio had come from, moving farther from the dumpster they had hidden in. he did his best to check the other way, and once he was satisfied no one was coming, he quietly slipped out of the dumpster. Fox followed, covering bill as he helped Fay out. Her face was contorted in pain and she whimpered as he gently set her on her feet.

"I can't walk! I must've put my foot on a broken bottle or something in there." Bill glanced down and quietly cursed. Fay had a shard of glass clean through her foot. It was amazing that she was able to keep from screaming her head off, although the fear was probably helping in that regard. He slung her arm over his shoulder and Fox began leading them through the streets. They heard a shout behind them and Fox spun on the spot, firing two rounds in rapid succession.

"Bill, take Fay and run! I'll try to catch up when I can!" he wrapped an arm under fay's knees and picked her up, cradling her.

"You better make it to that space port Fox!" he just shoved him down the alley as more soldiers swarmed into it. The red bolts from Fox's rifle were cutting them down in large numbers as Bill ran as fast as he could.

* * *

Fox fired round after round at the advancing soldiers, narrowly ducking the white stun rounds that were ripping past him. The rifle suddenly stopped firing and he cursed. A stun round nearly hit him as he sprinted away. As soon as he was out of their line of fire, he slung the bag off his back and pulled a fresh power pack out of bag. He struggled to drop the dead pack out of the rifle and slap the new one in as he ran, balancing the bag on his shoulder. White bolts started to lance by again, and he fired a pair of rounds back at them, seeing a soldier drop. Before any more shots could be fired at him, he smashed through a glass store front and ran through to the back, blasting the handle off the door and kicking it out. His feet carried him into the alley and away from the soldiers. A civilian car stopped in front of him and the door opened, a hand beckoning him inside. He didn't hesitate, leaping in and dropping into the back seat.

"Punch it!" the male vulpine in the front seat did exactly what Fox said, slamming the door shut and ramming his foot on the gas.

"You a soldier buddy?" Fox shook his head, panting.

"No! I'm a mercenary! Get me to the spaceport if you can! I have a shuttle that can take us up to my ship and get us the hell out of here!" the passenger glanced back at him, then took a second glance.

"Wait Fox!?" he recognized the silvery feline and grinned.

"Kyra! I, damn it is good to see you, I almost didn't recognize you!" she grimaced as the driver glanced into the mirrior, Fox recognizing him as Dust. He was wearing a military duty uniform, the patch marking him as a pathfinder, an elite scout.

"Damn Dust, I never would've thought that you'd be a pathfinder in eight months, barely recognized you." He smirked as he responded.

"Well, I breezed through basic and they assigned me to the one-seven-three without even putting me through the pathfinder school. Told me to where the patch. I'm supposed to be on leave before shipping out." Fox nodded as he glanced out the back window, seeing a pair of armored jeeps swing onto the street.

"Ah hell, we got company! Dust, you better step on it!" the car lurched again as Fox braced the rifle on the back of the seats. He fired a few rounds, watching one connect. It blasted through the wheel well and blew the tire to bits. The car ground into the sidewalk, knocked out of the chase. The second car was ducking and weaving, a turret on top firing back at them. A laser ripped through the cab and Fox heard Kyra cry out in pain. He glanced back, seeing her clutching her bleeding arm. The car continued to lurch around, making it even harder for Fox to shoot. Suddenly, they were on the tarmac for the spaceport. "Hanger two Dust! Keep that foot floored!"

"Alright, just get those guys off us!" Fox kept firing, watching as his last two rounds killed the gunner and the driver. He spun back into a regular position as they approached the hanger. Suddenly, the care was sent flipping as a fighter craft strafed the tarmac. Fox groaned as he crawled out of the car, pulling the two of them clear. Kyra was knocked out, but Dust was screaming his head off. A piece of the car frame had ripped into his shoulder, his arm only being held on by flesh and tendon. Fox cursed again and dropped the rifle so he could drag the two of them into the hanger. Kyra was starting to wake up as he loaded them onto the shuttle and started firing it up. The sound of boots on metal caused him to rip the hold out blaster out and level it on the two amphibians that had just boarded.

"Slippy, Amanda! Glad you could make it!" Fox finished firing the craft up and closed the bay. As soon as the nose was pointed at the hanger door, he squeezed the trigger and unleashed a torrent of lasers.

"Wait, Fox, what about Krystal!" he didn't respond as he shot the shuttle out of the hanger and toward space.

"We… got separated. She… didn't make it, but I swear, I am going to find her, no matter what it takes!" space appeared in front of them. the Great Fox Two was ahead of them, surrounded by the doomed wrecks of three Verham cruisers.


	5. Chapter 4

**So i'm really sorry this has taken me so long, have some tough to work through personal issues, and all of my posts are likely to drop of for a little while. anyway, i hope the quality is still there, and i hope you enjoy. Please, let me know what you think through the wonderful power of Review!**

* * *

Krystal slowly awoke, groaning as she did so. Her eyes drifted to her body, suddenly realizing that someone had changed her into black battle armor that looked frighteningly like what she used to wear. She slowly stood up as her telepathy started to search the room, instantly finding she wasn't alone in the badly lit chamber.

"Wh-Who's there!?" her eyes slowly adjusted, locating the figure just behind a set of metal bars. His quiet voice chilled her to the bone.

"Hello Kursed. It has been too long." she froze as he slowly came into clarity. His white beard and glowing eyes were unmistakable.

"Andross. My name is Krystal. And you are not getting one more fucking thing from me!" he grinned maliciously as he responded.

"I think we both know that isn't true. Once you remember, that is."

* * *

"Mother Fucker!" Katt jumped at Falco's curse, slipping up to the cockpit. The scene in front of her forced a similar curse out of her mouth. The view was magnified, showing half a dozen Cornerian cruisers battling with at least one hundred Verham cruisers. A few of the cruisers turned tail and jumped to warp, but most of them were destroyed in seconds. She could see massive amounts of debris in orbit, chunks of cruiser as fighters continued to fight, slowly being destroyed by the massive fleet of ships.

"We gotta warn Peppy! He shook his head, the screens below already linked into the galactic net, which was flooded with emergency news reports. She could see every planet in the Lylat system was under the same sort of duress.

"I'm turning us around, Sauria should be left pretty much alone. It doesn't have any infrastructure." Katt nodded, hoping Fox and them were alright. The view slowly turned around and the ship jumped back to warp. Falco gave her a worried look as she wrapped her arms around him, trying to alleviate her own fear.

* * *

**Four Months Later**

Fox paced back and forth on the bridge of the Great Fox II, the ship still at warp. They had jumped out of the Lylat system, regrouping with a pair of Cornerian battle groups in another system, then spent two months refitting one of the ship's two massive hanger bays into a hydroponics lab. The other hanger had their four Arwings, Fox's, Krystal's, not that she could use it, Slippy's, and Fox's old fighter, which Amanda had claimed for herself. Fox had put his fighter through some heavy modification, upgrading the weapons, the reactor, the engines, even the G-diffusion system. Almost nothing on the fighter was standard, and the upgraded reactor let the craft fire hyper-lasers twenty-four seven. He had also stripped the missile bay off, replacing it with a cargo bay, and added landing gear, something the fighter had never been equipped with. He had made sure it was equipped like this because he was prepping it to carry him to the surface. They had also designed a booster ring that would let the fighter reach Warp speeds. Krystal's and Slippy's fighters had similar upgrades, but retained the missile bays. Amanda's had been retrofitted and upgraded, replacing the older G-diffusers with modern ones, like on the X-03 Arwings, as well as replacing the fusion torch with an ion engine.

"Fox, we should be dropping into the Meteo soon." He nodded as he finally turned his attention to Slippy.

"Remember, keep the ship in the asteroid's, only use the power needed to keep the ship functional, nothing more. I'll try to stay in touch, but we have no idea what we'll find out there." He nodded as the ship slipped out of warp, thousands of asteroids appearing around the ship. Fox trotted down to the hanger and slipped into his fighter. There was one more addition to their plan. The Warp boosters had a camouflage system, making his fighter virtually undetectable to any known scans. After a triple check of his systems, the clamp lifted his fighter, booster's and all, up to the ceiling. He rammed the throttle forward and the fighter sat in place for a second, just before the fighter ripped out of the hanger and into space. He angled the fighter out of the asteroid field and plotted a course for Katina, hoping he would find Bill there. "Alright guys, see you soon." He punched the execute button and his fighter jumped to warp.

* * *

Nathan Leggett had been a bartender for as long as he could remember, but since Andross had taken over the Lylat system, his bar had been confiscated from him and he was forced to work in one of Katina's mines for incredibly long amounts of time. He stretched as he walked toward his small home. He was very thankful that the Venom Imperial Military hadn't confiscated his small comfortable apartment for 'Military purposes' as so many others had been. He sighed, hoping with everything in his heart that someone was fighting back against the VIM.

"I will give you one final warning! Drop the hood, and place your weapons on the ground or we will open fire!" his eyes widened as he realized that he had just stumbled across a VIM patrol. The twelve man group were all pointing rifles at a lone Vulpine man, standing in the middle of the street. He was wearing a lightweight armored vest and dark grey combat pants. A hood had been connected to the vest, hiding most of his face, except his muzzle. He was wearing a grey t-shirt under the vest. Most of this would not be too suspicious, with the exception of the vest, elbow pads, knee pads, fingerless gloves, and of course, the numerous weapons. He had two blaster pistols, one on each hip, and something on his back that Nathan could not make out.

"You should really learn who to not Fuck with." He snarled as he sad that, one of his hands flexing. Before any of them could react, he ripped both of his blasters out and opened fire, dropping three of the soldiers so rapidly, none of them even got a shot off. He leapt into the air, summersaulting as he slipped his blasters away. Red bolts went skyward, but too late, as he grabbed something off his back as he landed. A strange red shockwave blasted away from him. Even thirty meters away, Nathan was still knocked off his feet. He struggled to his feet and looked up to see a small piece of metal in the man's hand extend into a full length bow staff as he rushed forward. One of the soldiers was still getting up and he slammed the staff into his head. Even from here, he could hear the man's neck snap. One of the soldiers rolled onto his side and fired. Nathan thought the stranger was dead meat, but some sort of blue shield appeared between them, the red bolt glancing off of it. The barrier dropped and a ball of red fire shot out from the bulbous end of the staff, engulfing the individual. He spun on the spot, creating a cloud of mist around him, and even Nathan could feel the cold from it where he was. The troops started to slowly get up and aim at the mist, but just as they started firing, he rocketed out of the mist, a strange blue fire emanating from the staff. Before they could react, he landed behind two of them, slamming the staff into the back of one's leg, then stabbing the sharp end into the other's neck. He darted away, one of his blasters coming out and blasting the trooper he had knocked down. The five remaining troops fired at him, but he either deflected the shots, or simply was gone before they could target him. he slammed the bulbous end of the staff into one of the soldiers faces, ducking a rifle blast as he neatly flicked the rifle up and out of the man's hand, using the staff to lever the man around him and use his armored body to stop a rifle round headed for him. The one he had hit was recovering, but too late as he stabbed the staff into him. The other three were spreading out, but the mist returned, engulfing one of them. When the mist disappeared, Nathan watched the man collapse to the ground, his body literally frozen solid. A pair of fire blasts ripped away from the staff, one of them finding its mark as the last trooper narrowly rolled out of the way, only to find the bulbous end of the staff slam into his forehead. Nathan tentatively inched forward as the man collapsed the staff and grabbed the dazed soldier by the throat, bringing their faces just inches from each other.

"I am going to give you one chance. Where is Andross?!" he was close enough to see the fear in the primate's eyes.

"I… I don't know! All I know, is he flies a massive flagship, designed off the Verham cruiser, but at least twice the size!" the Vulpine slammed his fist into the primate's face, knocking him out cold.

"Wh-Who are you?" he didn't even glance over his shoulder as he responded.

"Not here, you got a safe place I could lay low at for a while?" Nathan nodded and beckoned him to follow, slipping down a dark alley. The man stopped to scoop up an assault pack that Nathan hadn't even noticed him drop. It had a special slot through the pack, holding a shortened heavy blast rifle. They slipped their way through the streets until he finally opened the door into his apartment, letting the man through before him and sealing the door behind him. he swept through every room before returning to the small living room and dropping his hood, revealing his familiar orange fur, green eyes, and white Mohawk.

"Holy shit…"


	6. Chapter 5

**well, i managed to write this alot faster than i expected, hope yall enjoy it. i'll do any needed revision later. Please review!**

* * *

"Alright, here's the deal, I'm here looking for someone, a soldier. Any ideas on where I might find him?" Fox plopped onto the couch as he spoke, accepting the soda Nathan had tossed him.

"Well, there's an internment camp nearby, take anyone who tries to speak up or fight back there. It's not far, here." he laid an old style paper map out on the table, using a black marker to circle the rough location of the camp. He had already placed X's all over the map.

"What are these X's?" he smirked as he gestured to one.

"These are guard posts and checkpoints. These guard posts have a line through the X, checkpoints are just a X. I've been marking them as I find them." Fox nodded as he looked over the map, seeing a flag and square marking the house.

"Are you ex-military or something?" he nodded as he pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Yes, was one of the first pathfinders in the one-seventy-third. Here, I've reconned the internment camp a few times. Here's everything I've gotten." Fox looked over the map, seeing it's hexagonally perimeter walls, three thick. At each of the six points, were gun towers. He had side notes saying the towers had twin Gatling guns in each one. He had rough guesses as to troop numbers, at least two platoons.

"I don't think I'm getting in here Nathan. Seems a bit heavily guarded for one man." He smirked and brought Fox's attention to the southwest wall.

"I know about the inner compounds and patrol routes through broken grates here. Prisoners can't get out, but someone can get in. I don't think they know about it yet, because it's under water. Fox nodded as he looked over the patrol times and routes.

"So, I'll go around midnight. Hopefully be in and out in an hour or so." Nathan nodded and pulled a pair of binoculars and a case out of the closet. "Um, what's that?" he grinned and opened the case, revealing a broken down anti material rifle.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind some cover." Fox smiled to the Canine as he gathered his gear.

* * *

Fay looked through the scope of her silenced sniper rifle, watching for any signs of abnormal movement. A splash in the river drew her attention as she took careful aim at it. She watched a figure come up on the north side of the second wall, too dark to tell who he was. She frowned, knowing none of her team should be moving in right now, and definitely not quietly. She saw a guard in one of the towers about to point the searchlight at him and she fired, watching the round arc out as she shifted and fired again, both guards dropping without a sound. She smirked, knowing that not even Falco could have made a pair of shots like that at the near kilometer distance she was at. The man seemed to notice the spotlight stop searching and started moving faster, slipping in under the next grate and into the main courtyard.

"Alright, Assault team, you are good to go! Nail the perimeter defenses!" a pair of AL-5 Bottle nose fighter swooped by. Although very similar to the AL-4, it was shielded and with twin cannons, as well as hard points for missile and bomb packs. These two had bombs, and dropped them as they shot overhead at way past the speed of sound. Bombs were detonating on the walls and towers before any of the guards even knew there were aircraft in the area. She smirked as she waited for the dust to clear. If they had done it right, the soldiers were already bum rushing the camp, swarming the guard post. She got a clear view her scope and saw utter chaos below. One of the towers had survived the bombardment, and was raking Gatling fire not at the infantry outside, but the prisoners below. Her heart leapt into her throught and she shifted her aim toward the tower, she was about to fire when the tower toppled, a red energy that she was all too familiar with blasting the weakened base apart she looked at the base and saw the stranger slipping something on his back as he one handed a assault blast rifle. It fired fully automatic bursts of fire, shredding guards. She pulled herself away from the scope and trotted to her jet bike, sliding on and gunning the engines. The bike ripped across the loose dirt until she reached the outer wall. By the time she got there, the weapons fire had ceased, and she climbed off, her carbine in hand. She rushed past the smashed walls, right toward where she had last seen the stranger, only knowing one weapon that could have knocked the tower down. She spotted the figure tending to the wound of a downed soldier, his bigger build clearly not who she had been hoping for.

"Hey, who the hell are you!?" she heard him chuckle as he stood, his voice scarily familiar.

"Thanks for the lovely greeting Fay. He dropped his hood as he spoke, turning to face her. Her jaw dropped as he grinned, instantly recognizing him.

* * *

"Fox!" Fay darted forward and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled as he did the same, happier than he could express to see her. She had her hair in a tight bun, and was wearing a lightweight combat rig, no armor. She had a silenced sniper rifle on her back, and her dirty smudged fur made her look less like the delicate doll he had always seen her as.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say you were the one to take out those guards in the watch tower?" she smiled and nodded as she gestured at her sniper rifle.

"Been getting a lot of practice over the past few months." He smiled at her as he pulled his assault pack back on and slipped the rifle back into its slot.

"Well, where that old rascal, Bill?" he was looking around the helmeted soldiers as he spoke, clearly looking for the grey canine.

"He was captured, I tracked him here." his eyes widened as he spoke, instantly charging for the camp.

"Bill! Bill! Biilllll!" she joined his hollering as the trotted through the dead and wounded. Suddenly a voice called back.

"Fox! Over here!" they both breathed a sigh of relief as they saw him, sprinting up too him. He wrapped his arms around fay, instantly kissing him. Fox rolled his eyes as he stood awkwardly as they held the kiss for what seemed like forever.

"You two do realize I am standing here, right?" Bill gave him the middle finger, and broke off the kiss just long enough to speak.

"Just shut up McCloud." Fox rolled his eyes as they kissed for a few more seconds. "Alright Fox, what do you want?" their hands remained clasped together as they finally broke apart.

"Krystal, hear anything about her?" Bill and Fay exchanged a worried glance as Nathan arrived.

"Yes, she's alive." Fox felt his heart soar, instantly speaking.

"Where is she!?" Fay bit her lip as she glanced at bill.

"Um, we didn't hear anything about Krystal…" Fox glanced between them, confused.

"What are y…" Bill cut him off.

"We intercepted a message talking about Kursed. She's on Andross's flagship. It spoke like…" Bill's voice froze, him clearly unwilling to say what he knew.

"It was talking about her like she was an asset they were regaining." Fox's eyes darted between them, still utterly confused. "As in, she works, or worked, for Andross!" Fox grunted as his thoughts ran wild.

"Well, there are about fifteen months that we don't know what she was doing. She may have." He silently hoped she hadn't as he typed a few commands into his wrist computer, summoning his fighter in a long arc around the city.

* * *

Krystal was jerked awake by a telepathic kick. She glared at Andross as he strode into the room outside her cell.

"Hello Kursed." He smiled evilly, and she could feel him trying to worm his way into her head.

_Get the hell out of my head you sick bastard!_ He chuckled and smiled.

"Tsk tsk, that is not the friendly way to greet a fellow telepath?" she just glared at him, leaving that as her only response. "And you don't even wonder how I am one, in all four of these months of sessions?"

_I have, but it wont matter much when I kill you! No matter how much of Kursed I remember, I will never work for you!_ He chuckled as he responded in her mind.

_You see, I have spent most of the past thirteen years on Cerinia._ She audibly laughed.

"That's impossible! I watched Cerinia explode!" he toke it as his turn to laugh as he leaned on the bars.

_Ah, but what you thought you saw and what was, were not the same! You see, what you saw, was simply the, mis-activation of a new prototype I had been working on! it cloaked the world from all view, but it also shields the world from any approach. Problem was, the computer failed and became irreparable, so I was forced to wait until it's power failed. Took an entire decade. But, it did give me plenty of time to scientifically unlock Telepathy._ She rolled her eyes at him again.

"Do you really think I care?" he grinned maliciously as he petted a small device he had pulled out of his pocket.

_And shortly, I wont just be able to read minds, but control them. Make them forget anything I want them too, or remember anything, whether it's real, or something I made up._ His smile expanded as fear ripped through her mind. _Fox, please get me out of here!_


	7. Chapter 6

**And here is Chapter Six! first, i hope yall enjoy it, second, i could REALLY use some reviews on this, please! these writings are a form of practice so i may get my own personal stories up and published! so please, let me know what you guys are thinking about these! anyway, please enjoy this, and as a final request, get some people to read this and the Phoenix fire, i would love more feedback from more people.**

* * *

_Fox, please get me out of here!_ Fox froze as the voice echoed in his mind. _Krystal, just hang in there! I'm coming for you! Just hang in there!_ He disconnected from the Warp ring and started up his active scans and other combat systems. He almost instantly located the ship, not far away and boosting for the Meteo asteroid field. Fox slammed his throttle forward and angled the fighter toward the massive cruiser. They clearly either hadn't detected him yet, or just didn't care. His fighter hit four clicks from the ship and Klaxon alarms started going off. He silenced them as a voice was sent across the radio.

"Approaching ship, turn around now, or we will destroy you!" Fox chuckled into his radio in the meanest, most evil sounding way he could think of.

"Well, let Andross know that he'll have a bit of a tough time with this knat." He killed the radio as the cannons opened fire. Fox neatly and easily looped and danced through the laser fire, still gaining on the ship.

_Fox McCloud! Do you really think you can stop this vessel with a single fighter craft?_ Fox nearly froze again, knowing that voice, but scared shitless by the fact that it wasn't coming through his earpiece.

"Hey Andross, you've tried to kill me before, what makes you think you can succeed this time?" a maniacal laugh filled Fox's head. _Because I have something you want, and as long as she is on this ship, you won't destroy it!_ Fighters started swarming out of the vessel by the dozens, deploying a whole wing of fighters. Fox smirked, recognizing them as the modified Wolfens he had seen eight months ago. His heavily modified Arwing easily juked and weaved throught the enemy fighters, the hyper lasers cutting clean through the enemy shields and blasting the fighters apart. A few of the pilots managed to land their red lasers on his shields, but most of them were trying to avoid the massive volleys of cannon and anti-fighter fire. Fox grinned as he ducked and weaved throught the fire, not one of the cruiser shots reaching him as came within a click of the enemy vessel.

_Fox! Whatever happens, I love you! With everything I am!_ Fox went wide eyed as he narrowly dodged a laser blast. _Krystal! I love you too! Just hold on!_ Before he could finish the thought, the massive vessel jumped to warp.

"Damn it!" he ducked and maneuvered, the three remaining squadrons of enemy fighters now swarming around him, no longer impeded by the massive volumes of cannon fire. Suddenly, at least three of the fighters behind him detonated, a fourth trying to shake a missile. A red and white Arwing shot past him and Fox couldn't help but grin.

"Hey Foxie boy, lookin like you could use a hand!" he grinned at the sound of Miyu's voice, slipping onto a Wolfens tail and blasting the craft apart. These Wolfens, unlike Wolf and Leon's, had twin engines, and didn't have the topside G-diffuser. Although this meant the craft had incredible speed, but it simply could not keep up with the maneuverability of the Arwings. He managed to nail a couple more, hitting one with a charge laser, the other with his lasers.

"I'm hoping you brought a little more than that Arwing to this tango, Miyu!" he heard her chuckle through the radio.

"But the two of us are all we need to own these fools!" he smirked as he rolled and dived, two of the Wolfens tight on his tail. She lined up ahead of him and fired her lasers, missing his fighter by less than a meter. He grinned as the two of them cut the enemy to ribbons, ducking and weaving through them until the remaining fighters retreated. "Hey Fox, can you make Macbeth in that thing?" he was already vectoring back to the Warp ring.

"Roger that, meet you there."

* * *

Fay moved through the rubble, nodding to a couple of medics as she walked through the rubble of the internment camp. Bill was beside her, both of them simply waiting for the troop carrier to arrive.

"Think we hit them fast enough that they didn't get a signal off?" Bill shrugged before he responded.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't count on it." she nodded, keying up her radio. "This is Captain Spaniel to Recon, report please gentlemen." They both waited for a few seconds for them to centralize their findings.

"Everyone reports not a soul in site. Heard from the EVAC boat yet?" she sighed as Bill responded for her.

"Negative kid. Will contact when we do." They were about to continue their walk when a Brown and black Canine that looked like his face was smashed in to a degree marched up to them, a massive Anti-material rifle in his hands.

"Hey, Nathan Legette. You resistance people need a sniper?" She nodded, crossing her arms.

"Sure, but what makes you think you are qualified?" he smirked as he glanced around.

"Kid, I was in the One Seventy Third Pathfinders during the Lylat wars. Commander Grey should be able to tell you that significance." Bill Grunted as Fay looked to him, not knowing what he was meaning.

"So your one of the guys whose ass I saved. One-seven-three was pinned behind enemy lines on the first day of the conflict. In the ending days of the war, my unit bailed their asses out, not that there were many asses left." He held his hand out to Nathan, who instantly accepted it.

"Glad to see I'm remembered. I'll go find a high spot and keep watch." They nodded as he trotted off, Fay finding herself staring up at the sky.

"Hey, something up?" she nodded before she responded.

"Just wondering if the others are alright. Fara, Wolf, Miyu, all of them." he wrapped his arms around her as tears started to flow out of her eyes. "I just, damn I wish I could see them again." She heard him sigh as she cried into his shoulder.

"You will Fay. They are all tough people. They'll be alright." His words didn't comfort her as she continued to cry, unable to stop it any longer.

* * *

Fara grabbed her blaster off the table, aiming at the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when Wolf and Kate walked in, setting the weapon down. She gently rocked the five week old pup in her arm as Wolf sat beside her and she passed the pup to him. He had got to see him for five minutes after he was born, Wolf having joined the VIM to keep them off Fara and his son. She had only agreed because she knew that there was no way to leave the system right now, at least, not any she knew about.

"How is the little Marcus doing?" she sighed, completely exhausted.

"Running his mother into the grave. Doesn't sleep for more than an hour or so." He nodded, gently cradling the baby as he stared at him, completely entranced by the pup. Kate sat down across from Fara and Wolf, a worried expression on her face.

"Fara, I don't think me and Wolf can keep you two hidden for much longer…." Fara sighed, knowing that meant she would have to find a way to leave.

"I understand." She was startled when Wolf spoke.

"Kate has earned the trust of Andross. And she thinks that if she asks, he will let her leave. She's already promised that she will at least stay with you for now, help you out."

"What about you Wolf?" he sighed, passing Marcus back to Fara before he stood up, facing away from her.

"I can't. Andross already suspects I'm not loyal to him. If I tried to leave, he'd have me hunted down and Killed. If you were with me…." She saw his entire body quiver in fear, no longer able to speak.

"Wolf, Marcus needs his father in his life. You are my husband! I am not going to abandon you here!" he still wouldn't look at her as he spoke, almost so quietly that she didn't hear him.

"They implanted a bomb in my spine. If I go AWOL, a click of a button and I'm gone. If I do my best to avoid Fox, and he defeats Andross, that's the only chance we have of being together." Fara Passed Marcus to Kate, who almost instantly started tickling her brother, and wrapped her arms around Wolf's body, gently nuzzling his ear. His entire body was quaking in terror and she could hear him sobbing so faintly that only she could hear.

"Wolf, I don't care if I have to pledge my allegiance to Andross! You are my husband, I am not abandoning you!" she whispered gently into his ear, so quietly that only he would hear it. He spun in her arms and hugged her, kissing her cheek.

"I know, but I will not let my son grow up under that maniac. Please, for his sake, go with Kate!" Fara started sobbing as she knew he was right.

"I… okay. Do everything you can to stay alive, okay? Please!" he nodded and kissed her again, on her lips this time.

"I can watch little tyke tonight. We can leave in the morning. I'm on leave for the next four months, so that gives me time to get you out of the Lylat system." Fara nodded and hugged Kate, before disappearing into Wolf and Fara's bedroom.


End file.
